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MORE MEMORIES OF WINDSOR

 

A PASSION FOR PLANTS

 

NORFOLK COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE 1974

 

THE ROYAL GARDENS WINDSOR 1975

 

NORWICH CITY COUNCIL

1976 - Present

 

EARLHAM PARK NURSERY

1977 - 1990

 

NORWICH IN BLOOM

 

ANGLIA IN BLOOM

 

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PRESENTATION AND TALKS

 

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terrycbane@gmail.com

My early photos at Burlingham and Windsor were taken with a Kodak Instamatic camera mainly in a square format using Kodachrome slide, one winter Mirelle kindly scanned many thousands of slides I had taken over the years, the images are not great but do show my life, plants and people at Burlingham and Windsor.

 

I lived in Windsor Hall for a full year, September 1975 to September 1976, the building was very impressive, when I first arrived I had to share a room with another student for a week or two, then wardens Mr. and Mrs Bishop found me a single room in one of the far wings next room to Peter Sandwell.

 

Food was served in the dining room, each student prepared sandwiches each working day to take for break and lunch especially if working in the Savill or Valley Gardens away from the Royal Gardens, food was mainly good but from time to time students would have a treat in town, my favourite was at the Harte and Garter in the main street near Queen Victoria's Statue and Windsor Castle entrance.

 

Windsor Hall had its own reference library come games and lecture room, a communal TV room, a large communal laundry, bath and toilet room and a separate Ironing room, lodging and pay day was on a Friday.

Terry's room at Windsor Hall Student Gardeners Hostel 1975

Norwich in Bloom Website

 

 

 

 

   

The Orchard to the rear of Windsor Hall

Daffodils in flower April 1976

Cyclamen in the Victorian glasshouses

November 1975

Tony from Birmingham cleaning Codiaeum leaves

in one of the Victorian glasshouses April 1976

     

Statue of Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle

seen from Peascod Street 1976

Windsor Hall was within a secure gate housed massive enclosure with many other buildings for estate workers, farms, gardens and woodland, each student had a pass key through gates into Windsor and Old Windsor, 2 students had cars and others motorcycles, myself, Willem and Andrew had bicycles and a special pass allowing cycling of the long walk to visit the Savill and Valley Gardens in the Great Park, we also cycled visiting other gardens in and around Windsor.

 

Friday nights most of the students would walk to Old Windsor to have a beer in The Nelson Pub followed by Fish and Chips or a Chinese Takeaway, Saturdays I would walk into town to buy fresh fruit, books, stationary and clothes if I could afford and spend the afternoon reading through my notes, books and re-writing, Sunday was a walk into town for a newspaper to read Norwich City FC match play results, more study then if the weather was good a bike ride or cinema.

 

I liked my music in the early 1970's and had a huge collection of cassette albums (and still do) I used a Toshiba cassette recorder to play them and soon learned I could record messages to send home to Mum, Dad and my brothers instead of writing letters, my brother John did the same and we exchanged cassettes in the post weekly, it was good to hear my families voices and what they had been doing during the week whilst I was away from Norfolk.

 

I travelled home on the train during festive holidays, at Christmas each student was given a Christmas Card and Pudding from HM Queen Elizabeth II, the pudding was eaten and enjoyed and card kept, it pleased me that Mum kept the pudding bowl and used almost daily for microwaving tinned soup up until her passing in August 2017.

   

Pachystachys lutea (Golden Shrimp) and Codiaeum

November 1975

Cyclamen and Chrysanthemums

November 1975

Terry Bane at Lingwood with Christmas Card

and Pudding from HM Queen Elizabeth II 1975

     

Some weekends was watering duty, one time whilst watering Codiaeums grown in peat free compost, a plant fell over 400 Codiaeums being so top heavy followed suit falling over like a pack of dominos, I worked as quickly as I could to put them back up before the Head Gardener checked fearing being disciplined.

 

On occasions students were offered seasonal work on surrounding farms, I worked some Saturdays hoeing thistles growing in Maize and Kale to earn some extra cash, sometimes Pheasant beaters were asked for, I did that as well to earn a few extra pounds and a special sandwich lunch and bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale.

 

I made many friends at Windsor and sometimes spent weekends meeting their families who lived or worked close to Windsor, before Christmas I visited Guildford with Steve Montgomery and another a visit to Egham with Pete Hassan.

 

Next room to me at Windsor Hall was Peter Sandwell who would often give me a lift on his motorcycle into town on his Honda, I liked Honda's and only had one motorcycle when 19 a Honda CB125s, I came off a few times and soon learned a car was a much better vehicle for me and my horticultural tools and sundries!

Peter Sandwell on his Honda Motorcycle in Windsor 1976

     

Driver Don Loading Mushrooms To Take To

Convent garden Market Windsor May 1976

David Howard and Willem Leenen Driving Forklift Truck

Mushroom Yard Windsor 1977

Willem Leenen and Ken Baily Unloading Mushroom Trays

Mushroom Yard Windsor 1977

     
 

 

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